Lavandula plant named ‘Annet’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lavandula  plant named ‘Annet’, characterized by its compact and broadly upright plant habit; relatively rapid growth rate; freely branching growth habit; strong durable plants; freely flowering habit; violet-colored flowers arranged on terminal spikes; relatively long flowering period; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Lavandula angustifolia.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ANNET’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Lavandula plant, botanically known as Lavandula angustifolia, commonly referred to as Lavender and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Annet’.

The new Lavandula plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Nuis, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new unique Lavandula plants with good performance and attractive plant form and flower coloration.

The new Lavandula plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in June, 2009 of Lavandula angustifolia ‘Blue Royalty’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,657, as the female, or seed, parent with Lavandula angustifolia ‘Maxima’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Lavandula plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Nuis, The Netherlands in August, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Lavandula plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands since September, 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Lavandula plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Lavandula have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of the new Lavandula plant. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Annet’ as a new and distinct Lavandula plant:

-   -   1. Compact and broadly upright plant habit.     -   2. Relatively rapid growth rate.     -   3. Freely branching growth habit.     -   4. Strong durable plants.     -   5. Freely flowering habit.     -   6. Violet-colored flowers arranged on terminal spikes.     -   7. Relatively long flowering period.     -   8. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Lavandula differ primarily from plants of the female parent, ‘Blue Royalty’, in inflorescence size and peduncle thickness as plants of ‘Blue Royalty’ have smaller inflorescences and thinner peduncles.

Plants of the new Lavandula differ primarily from plants of the male parent, ‘Maxima’, in peduncle thickness as plants of ‘Maxima’ have thicker peduncles.

Plants of the new Lavandula can be compared to plants of the Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote Blue’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Lavandula differ primarily from plants of ‘Hidcote Blue’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lavandula are more compact and denser than         plants of ‘Hidcote Blue’.     -   2. Plants of the new Lavandula flower for a longer period of         time than plants of ‘Hidcote Blue’.     -   3. Plants of the new Lavandula have shorter and thicker         peduncles than plants of ‘Hidcote Blue’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Lavandula plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Lavandula plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Annet’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Annet’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and following detailed description were grown in 12-cm containers during the spring and early summer in an outdoor nursery in Boskoop, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Lavandula production. Plants were nine months old when the photographs and description were taken. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 20° C. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lavandula angustifolia ‘Annet’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Lavandula angustifolia ‘Blue             Royalty’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,657.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Lavandula angustifolia ‘Maxima’,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About ten days at             temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 60 days             at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 70 days             at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; initially white in color             and becoming more brown with development; actual color of             the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water             quality, fertilizer type and formulation.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact and             broadly upright plant habit; freely branching habit;             moderately vigorous growth habit; relatively rapid growth             rate; flowers arranged in verticillasters on terminal             spikes.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 39.4             cm.         -   Plant width.—About 41.5 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: About 64             primary lateral branches developing per plant. Length: About             11.9 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About             2.8 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to outwardly.             Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy.             Color, developing: Close to 137C. Color, developed: Close to             between N199A and N199B.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile.             Length: About 5.3 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape: Lanceolate             to narrowly oblanceolate. Apex: Broadly acute to obtuse.             Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire; slightly revolute. Texture             and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; very             slightly glossy. Fragrance: Strongly aromatic, pungent.             Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves, upper             surface: Close to 143A. Developing leaves, lower surface:             Close to between 143C and 144A. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Close to N137B; venation, close to 138A to 138B.             Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to N137D;             venation, close to 137C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type, arrangement and habit.—Small single salverform             flowers arranged in verticillasters on terminal spikes;             freely flowering habit with about 325 flowers developing per             inflorescence and more than 6,000 flowers developing per             plant; flowers with two-lobed upper lip and three-lobed             lower lip; flowers face mostly outward to slightly upright             on the spike.         -   Natural flowering season.—Relatively long flowering period;             continuous from late spring into the summer in The             Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Individual flowers last about             ten days on the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Oblong. Texture and luster: Moderately tomentose;             matte. Color: Close to 83A.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 8.8 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.6 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 8 mm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 1.2 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Upper lip, two-lobed and             lower lip, three-lobed. Length, upper lip: About 1.2 cm.             Length, lower lip: About 1.1 cm. Width, upper lip: About             3 mm. Width, lower lip: About 2 mm. Shape: Roughly             spatulate; lower 66.7% fused into a tube. Apex: Obtuse,             rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper (inner)             surface: Smooth, glabrous, velvety; matte. Texture and             luster, lower (outer) surface: Sparsely pubescent, velvety;             matte. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper (inner)             surface: Close to 86D; throat, close to 84C to 84D, towards             the base, close to NN155D; color does not fade with             development. When opening and fully opened, lower (outer)             surface: Close to 86D; tube, close to N78C to N78D, towards             the base, close to NN155D; color does not fade with             development.         -   Basal flower bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: Each group of             flowers is subtended by a single basal flower bract. Length:             About 5 mm. Width: About 4.5 mm. Shape: Broadly rhomboidal.             Apex: Aristate. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture and             luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 157D; towards the             margins, tinged with close to 86A to 86B; venation, close to             143B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five, fused into a             campanulate tube. Calyx length: About 4 mm. Calyx diameter:             About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Broadly acute. Margin:             Entire. Texture and luster, upper (inner) and lower (outer)             surfaces: Densely pubescent; matte. Color: When opening and             fully opened, upper (inner) surface: Close to 83A;             pubescence, close to 83A. When opening and fully opened,             lower (outer) surface: Close to 145D; venation, close to             144B; pubescence, close to 83A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 22.8 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Aspect: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong to slightly             outward. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly             glossy. Color: Close to 137C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.             Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to             NN155D. Anther shape: Reniform. Anther length: About             0.75 mm. Anther color: Close to 203D. Pollen amount:             Moderate to abundant. Pollen color: Close to 17A. Pistils:             Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 3.5 mm.             Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 152A.             Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close to 157B to             157D. Ovary color: Close to 143A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Lavandula. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Lavandula have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Lavandula     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Lavandula have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate high     temperatures about 40° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 6. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Lavandula plant named ‘Annet’ as illustrated and described. 